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About this blog: The Raucous Caucus shares the southpaw perspectives of this Boomer on the state of the nation, the world, and, sometimes, other stuff. I enjoy crafting it to keep current, and occasionally to rant on some issue I care about deeply... (More)

About this blog: The Raucous Caucus shares the southpaw perspectives of this Boomer on the state of the nation, the world, and, sometimes, other stuff. I enjoy crafting it to keep current, and occasionally to rant on some issue I care about deeply. My long, strange career trip has included law and management jobs in two Fortune 50 companies, before founding the legal search and staffing firm Cushing Group, Recruiters. I've lectured on negotiation and settlement strategy, and teach graduate courses at Golden Gate University (Adjunct of the Year for a doctoral seminar on business, law and society). Illinois, Texas and California (Inactive) admitted me to law practice; I hold JD and MBA degrees from the University of Illinois, and a BGS from the University of Michigan, with Distinction. There -- Go Blue! Personally, my daughters are a lawyer in NY, and a pre-med student in NM - their lives-and-times often animate these columns. I'm active in animal advocacy matters, having led a citizen team that took Alameda's city animal shelter to a non-profit operation - we saved $600K annually and the lives of some 700 companion animals/year vs. the City's best alternative. I'm delighted with that success. My family has re-homed 144 foster animals over many years; we host four boisterous border collies of our own. Mostly for humane movement efforts, I was nominated for GQ magazine's 2009 Better Men, Better World Award. You may notice that many of my rants relate to critter issues. In addition to the Raucous Caucus blog, I frequently contribute to The BARK magazine, and am a proud Moderator emeritus on the popular news and humor website www.Fark.com. I prefer scotch over imported beer (Hide)

“You can check out any time you like … but you can never leave.”

Uploaded: Aug 2, 2017

Around our house, we have a new pastime. We call it “Squirrel!” Whenever The White House emanates some unhinged statement that makes no sense, we look elsewhere for its significance as a deflection – what else is going on, away from which attention must be diverted? It keeps us busy.

Late last week, we got a double dose. First, the Prez tweeted that after consulting with his generals (which may have been a typo for his locus of decision-making – after all, the Pentagon generals denied all knowledge), transgender Americans would be banned from military service. Later that day, his late, unlamented communications director unleashed a vulgar tirade that sent me scurrying to the Urban Dictionary for some semblance of its meaning.

So, what else was up?

The Squirrel! in this case may have been the testimony of financier William Browder (who? – see, it worked) before the Senate Judiciary Committee. A wealthy veteran of the Russia trade, he explained the Kremlin kleptocracy in chilling detail, including his informed belief that it has made Mr. Putin the world’s richest man, several times over.

His statement appears verbatim in The Atlantic, but most of the dailies missed it.
He recounted his personal history of having discovered a blatant, quarter-billion-dollar tax fraud, along with his attorney, Sergei Magnitsky. After duly reporting it to the Kremlin, Browder was charged with evading those taxes himself, and expelled from the country. His lawyer fared worse: he was beaten-to-death during year-long, pre-trial detention in a series of squalid Russian jails.

Browder testified: “Sergei and I were sure that this was a rogue operation and if we just brought it to the attention of the Russian authorities, the ‘good guys’ would get the ‘bad guys’ and that would be the end of the story. … It turns out, there are no good guys. Sergei was murdered as my proxy.”

You may recognize the lawyer’s name as having been attached to an Act passed into law in 2012 that potentially freezes assets and denies visas to persons involved in the lawyer’s murder. You might not know, if Browder is correct, that the Magnitsky Act therefore places at-risk many hundreds of billions in ill-gotten gains stashed in the west, where property rights and rule of law exist. Putin has given very, very high priority to its repeal – Browder testified to his belief that about $200 billion(!) of those bucks are Putin’s personal purloinings.

Browder also offered, during Q and A with the Senators, that if you play ball with the Russians and assist their asset laundering plots, they have you either way: dependent on their largesse, and under threat of blackmail if you try to disengage. You can truly “never leave.”

This puts a whole new element into the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Russian lawyer Veselnitskaya (Browder describes her as a potent insider, assigned to repeal of the Magnitsky Act) and all those highest-ranking officials of the Trump campaign. Readers will recall that the first bogus explanation for that meeting (penned by the Prez, himself, but delivered by his son), was that it concerned “Russian orphans” (of whom Putin banned adoptions by Americans, in cruel retaliation for Magnitsky).

We later learned about the offer of dirt on Hillary, gleefully accepted. It has received most of the press ink, but maybe that offer was, itself, a diversion from the deeper purpose?

Now, absent a more-complete understanding of President Trump’s prior business practices (what we do know is sordid), there’s still a missing link – was he caught in the Kremlin’s web of multi-billion-dollar deceit? We don’t know yet, but we do know a few things:

o - our Senator Feinstein called Browder’s the most important testimony of the Judiciary Committee’s probe, to-date, and

o – Special Counsel Mueller has hired money-laundering experts onto his staff, and

o - over the past decade, the Trump Organization has changed its sales approach, and conveyed hundreds of valuable properties to unnamed buyers through anonymous, untraceable shell companies, and

o – the Prez has signaled that Mueller should stay away from his finances, and ruminated publicly about his powers of pardon for criminal acts, and

Posted by Cousin Mike,
a resident of another community,
on Aug 2, 2017 at 11:15 am

I enjoyed the insight of the"squirrel". Well written. I would enjoy the same depth of insight into all the Clinton "smoke" . It's so hard to trust in anything written these days (last few years) since it seems press is after a Pulitzer and will say most anything for the story line.
If it wasn't for the old applause-o-meter, one would have little to judge what is really going on.
There are so many squirrels these days!

Posted by Scott Hale,
a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 2, 2017 at 12:32 pmScott Hale is a registered user.

Just what we needed another Trump or Trump admin blog. Think, by now, the 2 camps (pro and con) are set. Those who support and defend Trump and his admin are below 40%, but kinda stable. Those who dislike Trump & co near 60% and again quite stable month-to-month. the 60% are most likely tired of hearing about the drip drip every day. The 40%, well they love Trump and he can do no wrong just as he boasted (and was caught on tape).
Stalemate for 4 years or perhaps sooner if something comes from all the 'smoke'. Otherwise most feel Trump is a clown and some feel he's the greatest thing since grilled cheese sandwiches were created.
We'd all be better off if the media would find something else to pick at. That has the added benefit it will drive Trump bonkers if he doesn't get any coverage. maybe a hint.....

Posted by Tom Cushing,
a resident of Danville,
on Aug 2, 2017 at 12:53 pmTom Cushing is a registered user.

But Scott - I'm being read by my cousin, in Tennessee (I think, now that he's retired)! BTW, there's some evidence that the ardor of the 35% is starting to slip - the entertainment value is shrinking, the show might be canceled, there are only so many squirrels. I think my next missive will be about Flake's book - better?

That said - thanks, Cuzzin! I know you try to read across the aisle, as do I (honest). It's particularly interesting to see what gets covered, at all. I think the adversarial press really started after Watergate - before that, much was known, but not reported about scandalous behavior on all sides of every aisle. Politics does seem to breed it. Reporters saw that there were careers to be made - and I do think we're better off with a skeptical press. At some point, you've got to decide to consider the source, as it performs over time. I've decided the NYTimes does a pretty good job, albeit you have to factor that they're on a mission.

I don't think that there are enough to cover all the wild and zany things going on. Let's see, just off the top of my head within the last week or so: (1) Trump's speech to the Boy Scouts in which he declared at the start of the speech that, no, he wasn't going to talk politics, followed by him then spending the rest of his speech talking politics to bewildered Boy Scouts. Boy Scout organizer issues an apology for inviting Trump to speak. (2) Trump makes a joke about police brutality during a speech. National association of police chiefs is shocked and promptly disavows and distances themselves from Trump's "joke". (3) Trump is revealed to have dictated Trump Jr's misleading statement about the reason for the Russian meeting. (4) Trump communications director Scaramucci fired only about 10 days after being hired. Trump, who "only hires the best", says that the Trump administration is running smoothly. (5) Trump declares that the new Russia sanctions bill presented to him is "unconstitutional" - but signs it anyway. (6) Trump tells people at his New Jersey golf club that he visits the club so often because "The White House is a real dump". (7) Trump's nominee for Dept. of Agriculture chief scientist revealed to have accused progressives of "enslaving" minorities. Also, called black leaders "race traders," and called former President Obama a "Maoist" with "communist" roots.

Personally, I think that Tom needs to start running multiple, simultaneous blog posts to keep up with everything.

Oh and, yeah, I know that I must have omitted mentioning here some outrageous Trump happenings in the last week or so - just so much to keep up with.

Posted by Hotslide,
a resident of Oak Tree Acres,
on Aug 6, 2017 at 12:08 pm

Like to check in here once in awhile if for no other reason than to see if Tom knows of any other news other than his total consumptive hate disorder for President Trump. Sounds like the whole household is deeply involved and my guess is everyone better get in line. Constant research, articles referenced from everywhere, blogs referenced, quotes, household terms. Hate Trump, Hate Trump, Hate Trump, Hate Trump...and you must agree, just look at my research!! This hate from Tom is relentless and no doubt consumes hours and hours of ass time to accumulate. I think he has convinced all his buds and other haters there is going to be a wonderful Maxine Watters touted outcome. But I am not so sure. What is certain is that this obsession is not healthy. Dwelling on this kind of hatred every waking hour must be taking a toll on the mind, like ground squirrels in the back yard. Just can't get rid of them.

Posted by Jake Waters,
a resident of Birdland,
on Aug 6, 2017 at 2:10 pmJake Waters is a registered user.

@Hotslide

I agree with you 100% Hotslide, and I have started to refrain from commenting on Tom's editorials, if that is what you want to call them. He and his followers are going to trash us just for showing up. But it is his blog, and he can cry if he wants to. I'll move onto other things.

Posted by Tom Cushing,
a resident of Danville,
on Aug 6, 2017 at 2:36 pmTom Cushing is a registered user.

"He and his followers are going to trash us just for showing up." Perhaps that's an under-appreciated problem, Jake - you seem to expect concurrence, "just for showing up." And I have 'followers?'

I'd note that neither of these recent comments goes to the substance of the blog, at all. It's hard for me to engage with you on the level of 'Tom's-a-hater.' I'm not the best source on that subject, and while I could present character evidence, then where would we be? Nowhere.

After all, these columns - yes, 'editorials', cuz that's what blogs are - are not biographical, they're about some topic. But maybe the next one will be biographical - feel free to check back.

Posted by Jake Waters,
a resident of Birdland,
on Aug 6, 2017 at 3:16 pmJake Waters is a registered user.

@Tom

I expected this, and I will end my side of the thread. I never said anything about hating you Tom. Please don't exaggerate. You have a very impressive resume, and I believe you are a smart man, As I said, it's your blog, and you can write all the bias you want. I will avoid it, because this is too much like CNN and MSNBC.

Posted by Tom Cushing,
a resident of another community,
on Aug 6, 2017 at 3:32 pm

Jake - I was responding to both you, and to Hots' concern about my mental state, in which he called me a hater about a baker's half-dozen times. You did agree 100%, but I do not believe you ever expressed any hate Toward Me hereabouts. Not sure where you got that, but sorry for any miss-impression my comment left with you.

I just wish you guys would focus on what I write, and leave me out of it.

If you don't like Tom's blog or CNN or MSNBC, you're running out of safe places to hide yourself from being exposed to articles critical of Donald Trump. Even the many of the essayists at the conservative National Review are now writing articles critical of Trump's behavior and actions. Getting hard to find people who haven't recognized by now that so many of the things that Trump says and does is indefensible.

BTW, would it be OK for me to point out the fact that Trump, the guy who bashed Obama for playing golf and going on vacations, has been thus far taking off time from the office to play golf at a rate of over twice what Obama did and is currently on a 17-day vacation, or does pointing out those true facts just make me a "hater"?

Pin Cushing said: "I just wish you guys would focus on what I write, and leave me out of it."

Spoken like a true speaker from the racket; or more commonly known as the profession of law. The attempt to distance yourself from your own BS is comical. Well, come to think of it, comedy and law often go together. Is that a course you teach at Golden Gate?

Posted by Tom Cushing,
a resident of Danville,
on Aug 7, 2017 at 11:38 amTom Cushing is a registered user.

Jet: how can I make the point yet another way?

Okay - you know the saying "Hate the Sin, but love the Sinner?" Well, the Sins of the points raised in my blog are mine, absolutely, and I encourage you to hate or love 'em, as you will. There has never been any attempt by this author not to own them, straight up. None.

Comments, however and including yours, tend to focus their distaste on me, as the Sinner - and fail to push-back against the perceived Sins in what I've penned. "Othering" me as tetched or part of some conspiracy is worse than off-point - it demonstrates that you have no cogent argument to make against the perceived Sins. None.

So go after the Sins, hammer-and-tongs. But howsabout a little love for this poor, misguided wretch of a Sinner?

I wasn't kidding about people at the National Review writing essays very critical of Donald Trump. Here's a pretty good one by Charles Krauthammer, an essayist who has often been very critical of Obama, coming down pretty strongly on Trump:

@Jet: "And please, stop playing the poor 'lil old pitiful me BS.. You attack people on your blogs with reckless abandon."

Jet, the only one I see here engaging solely in personal attacks against other people is you. You have written two posts here and there is not even one sentence in either of them which addresses the topic of the forum. (Feel free to correct me and point out one if you think that I'm wrong or being unfair to you.). All you've done here is attack Tom with 100% of your sentences. 0% of your sentences have been on-topic. You have a problem with something that Tom has written about Trump? Then attack Tom's statements, not Tom himself.

@Sam: There are things Trump has tweeted or said that you can honestly attack, but the alleged 19 day vacation and too much golf is just fake news. As reported, there are long overdue major renovations and repairs going on at the Whitehouse, so the first family had to move out to their New Jersey estate during the remodeling. This is not Obama flying to Florida or Hawaaian on actual vacation, but having leave during remodeling. They also wanted to get it done before Barron starts school so he does not miss classes. That is being a good parent, and the alleged vacation rip is fake news.
As to golf, Trump like many businessmen and professionals, does business on the golf course. He has played golf with many world leaders including the Chinese President, creating a good relationship on the links. I am not a golfer, but know that many actually do play for work related reasons. Again, a non-issue.

@American :"There are things Trump has tweeted or said that you can honestly attack, but the alleged 19 day vacation and too much golf is just fake news."

I don't know what the timeline is behind the scheduling of Trump"s vacation versus plans for remodeling. Were the White House renovations so urgent that Trump and family "had to move out" as you said? Personally, I'm a little bit skeptical of any renovators telling the President of the United States that he "has to" move. Or did the renovators simply decide to take advantage of Trump's 17 day absence? Don't know but I'm willing to agree its a minor matter.

As for Trump doing "business on the golf course", I wish you could see my eyes rolling. You know as well as I do that international leaders haven't been flying in from all over the world to play golf with Trump. Trump is playing golf for the relaxation and exercise and, within limits, there's nothing wrong with that. A President's life is stressful, and I won't begrudge Trump his relaxation and exercise time any more than I did Obama's relaxation and exercise time. However, I will point out the hypocrisy of someone who did begrudge Obama's golfing time then turning around and going on golfing trips at over twice the rate that Obama did.

Posted by Resident,
a resident of Laguna Oaks,
on Aug 7, 2017 at 4:05 pm

"demonstrates that you have no cogent argument to make against the perceived Sins."

There is no arguement to make when you've made nothing but assertions that have no evidence to back them.

So they met with 1 Russian presumably to get dirt on Hillary and that Russian ended up changing the subject

So what?

Trumps son testified to the senate and guess what? Nothing happened and the dems have been quiet ever since with regards to his account. I wonder why?

And isn't it funny that nobody wants to talk about GPS360, the democrat firm that supplied the completely false report regarding trips made by Trump to Russia?

Comment from Tom? Nope.

You haven't really given us an opinion. You've actually reported on events quite well though.

Was a crime committed or not? If a crime hasn't been committed, then why is there an investigation since investigation always follow crimes, not the other way around. The why is because this is a political witch hunt and always has been.

This is all happening because Hillary got her backside handed to her by a political novice. Both parties are upset that the gravy train might end and this is their response.

@Resident :"Was a crime committed or not? If a crime hasn't been committed, then why is there an investigation since investigation always follow crimes, not the other way around. "

Really, I think that your logic is a bit tied up in knots. Let's start over: Was a crime committed or not? Given the fact that several people associated with the Trump administration either lied or were extremely careless in filling out their security questionnaires about Russian meetings an contacts, and that Flynn is taking the 5th, and Trump curiously thought it necessary to coach his son on the reason for his meeting with Russians, the answer is "maybe". There's certainly a lot of smoke here. Is there a fire? Need a full investigation to answer that question.

Really, this is pretty simple reasoning. Don't know how you managed to tie yourself up in knots over it.

Posted by Tom Cushing,
a PleasantonWeekly.com blogger,
on Aug 7, 2017 at 4:35 pmTom Cushing is a registered user.

Sam: I've come to conclude that hypocrisy has no meaning here, as DiJiTs will change his positions on every dime, every time it suits the whims of the moment. His convictions are as flexible as Bann ... never mind - meaning they are never deeply held and are simply never fixed. His one fixed navigation star is his own star.

The golf thing is an example - criticizing Obama served his dog-whistle purpose, just as the birther thing did. It's shameful, but not to the shameless.

Sheesh! Come on, Resident. You're way behind the times here. If you've been following the news then you would know that there were multiple witnesses to Trump's conversation with Trump, Jr, and that neither Donald Trump nor his Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, denied that the conversation took place. In fact, Sarah Huckabee Sanders acknowledged that the meeting and conversation took place was trying to justify it as being mere "fatherly advice".

Your attempts to defend Trump are feeble. I'm throwing heavy stuff your way, and in return you're just firing back with blanks.

Posted by Scott Hale,
a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 7, 2017 at 7:34 pmScott Hale is a registered user.

always wondered what happen to 'Dan formally of Danville'. Certainly miss the entertaining comments, but pretty sure more than a few bunny hop around silly AOL screen names here.
Back to Trump. Crime? Have any of the various investigations completed yet? I think not. Why not wait before coming to an 'opinion' there was or wasn't a crime by Trump or his delegates. I kinda wish they would all go away and maybe have a reset. Maybe then Trump will be somewhat presidential? Maybe?
I wish the media would just stop talking about the investigations, the leaks, the tweets. Move on and wait for the 'reports' to come out. Then have a hissy fit one way or the other.

Posted by DKHSK,
a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Aug 7, 2017 at 7:49 pmDKHSK is a registered user.

Hey Scott,

Anybody that has been paying attention knows that I am "Formerly Dan from Bridlecreek". I changed my name when PW changed its system and I realized that my current screen name is one I had when I originally signed up. When I moved for a job change and came back I forgot my screen name and started Formerly Dan.

Posted by Scott Hale,
a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 8, 2017 at 6:27 amScott Hale is a registered user.

Oh Dan: I miss your entertaining 'lets Defend GOP and whine about Dems' notes. Always get such a kick out of the defense of GOP and Trump.
Oh, and I do pay attn and usually get what I wanted: you here. snap.

Think, tho, you goofed on your screenname history, but I forgive you. So many here bounce between names, one would think they were being smart. not.

The case is under investigation. Based on evidence already uncovered, possible crimes that may have been committed include criminal conspiracy (cooperating with the Russians in hacking computers), felony violation of campaign finance laws (by getting financial and/or non-financial campaign assistance from a foreign power), and obstruction of justice. There's also the possibility that one or more Trump associates deliberately lied on their sworn SF-86 top secret security clearance questionnaire forms. Don't know what the crime is for that (maybe perjury?), but pretty sure that there is one.

Posted by Scott Hale,
a resident of San Ramon,
on Aug 8, 2017 at 8:32 amScott Hale is a registered user.

actually, since Mueller doesn't leak, we don't know if there was or wasn't a crime committed the absence of knowing doesn't mean it doesn't exist, aye? His the only investigation that counts. The senate and house committees are political and mean diddly squat. Congress is not still ready to completely move against 'their' President just yet. Cracks are showing, tho. Even the GOP cheerleaders are now silent for the most part.
Now if we can just get the media to ignore Trump, THAT will send him over the edge for good.

@Resident: "So using your own words, a crime hasn't been committed yet an investigation is being performed. This is the very definition of a political witch hunt."

I think that you're either being extremely careless with your wording or you're deliberately trying to twist my words. I did NOT write that "a crime hasn't been committed yet". What I've been saying is that we don't know whether a crime has been committed or not. I don't know, and - unless you're omniscient - you don't know whether or not a crime has been committed either, do you?

All we know at this point is that there is enough smoke here that a full investigation is warranted.

it's moments like this i realize how corrupt establishment politicians, along with the help of the corrupt establishment media, lead the saps around by the nose for their own corrupt (ie re-elect me) ends.

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